Tunnel boring machine (TBM) Bella has reached the 1km mark of her 4km journey digging the West Gate Tunnel Project’s outbound tunnel. The second TBM, Vida, is currently past 20% of her 2.8km journey digging the inbound tunnel.
Both TBMs are hard at work, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. TBM Vida will take around a year to complete her journey. TBM Bella will tunnel for 18 months.
The TBMs started their journey at the northern portal in Yarraville and are moving south-west towards the southern portals along the West Gate Freeway.
It will take just under 4 years for the tunnels and portals to be built, fitted out, commissioned and ready for use.
The TBMs are building the new twin tunnels between the Maribyrnong River and the West Gate Freeway, providing a vital alternative to the West Gate Bridge. The project will create quicker and safer journeys and remove over 9000 trucks a day from streets in the inner west.
